Forbes’ ‘Incredible feeling’

T&T Women’s ‘keeper savours Colombian title win

Jamille Boatswain is on his way to kickstart a new chapter in Costa Rica, Joevin Jones is currently touted as the best left back in the MLS and Kevin Molino not too long ago became the first player to score on Keylor Navas in World Cup qualifying in Costa Rica since October 2013. But the men are not the only Trinidad and Tobago players making their mark outside of these shores today.

Goalkeeper Kimika Forbes is now fan favourite in Bogota where she is based with Colombian women’s team Santa Fe and with good enough reason.

Forbes helped her team capture the inaugural Colombian professional women league’s title with a 1-0 win over Atletico Huila on Saturday at the Estadio Nemesio Camacho El Campín in Bogota. The two-legged final was played with Santa Fe defeating Atlético Huila 2–1 in the first encounter eventually winning 3–1 on aggregate and qualifying for the 2017 Copa Libertadores Femenina in the process.

Kimika Forbes with the winning trophy on Saturday in Bogota.

The fan base in Colombia football is impressive and scores of supporters have been behind Forbes, grabbing opportunities for autographs and photo ops especially since the team’s success on the weekend.

One fan at the game was seen displaying a placard which read “We love you Kimika. I want your gloves.”

Colombia’s league teams can field a maximum of eight foreigners, with players from Venezuela, Paraguay, Costa Rica and Panama alongside Forbes among players in the 18-team league.

Top Colombian national players such as Yoreli Rincon, Lady Andrade, Catalina Usme and Daniela Montoya campaign in the league having appeared at World Cups, South American Championships and Olympic Games for Colombia.

A Santa Fe fan displays her love for Forbes at Saturday’s final match.

The 26-year-old Forbes, born in Plymouth, Tobago, kept 10 clean sheets in 16 games for her club and has been a key part of the team’s campaign this year.

She was over the moon on Monday and deservedly so.

“I feel incredible and overwhelmed to be a part of history once again,” Forbes told TTFA Media.

“It is such an amazing feeling to play in the first professional women’s league in Colombia and and to finish the league as part of the team that won the title. I was also the first goalkeeper to go five games without conceding a goal which they said was some form of record. I am thrilled at the moment,” added Forbes who also enjoyed success with Paraguayan club Sportivo Limpeno last year.

“Football is the most beautiful sport in the world and hard work definitely pays off off . I am very happy and thanking the Lord for blessing me with opportunity to play professionally and be part of such an amazing team.”

Forbes certainly has her eyes set on representing the National Team in the Caribbean leg of World Cup qualifiers set to take place in a few months and Carolina Morace will be anxious to have safe hands in the T&T goal.

“I want to thank everyone who’ve kept supporting me through this journey. It has not been an easy road but I I never gave up and thankfully I made it to this point and now just looking to achieve more success both for club and country,” Forbes said.

Kimika lines up with her teammates before the kick off on Saturday before a massive crowd in Bogota.

The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association was formed on July 23rd, 1908. Expatriate workers who taught the game to locals played the game in the oilfields.

A certain player by the name of Dwight Yorke captained this country to its first ever FIFA World Cup, the 1991 FIFA Under 20 World Cup in Portugal. And in 2006 he also captained the Senior Men's Team to the 2006 World Cup in Germany